"Call of the Wild" Roadtrek Rally
Estes Park, CO, Sept. 26-30, 2005
When we got word of the Call of the Wild rally at Estes Park, scheduled for the time of the elk rutting in late September, we immediately knew we had to go. We had been several times to Rocky Mountain National Park, and enjoyed the park very much, but had never been there in the fall.
The rally was held at the Elk Meadow Lodge and RV Resort in Estes Park. The
setting was beautiful; we had a great view of Longs Peak, which, at 14,255 ft,
is the highest peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. We learned that, before
becoming a campground, this site was used for filming movies and TV shows,
including Bonanza and Virginia.
Meetings and meals were held in a rustic lodge that earlier had been at Bear
Lake in the park. It was moved here when the park decided to remove commercial
operations from the park. A ranger naturalist gave a very interesting talk on
the history of the park and the wildlife, especially the elk.
Pancakes and sausages in the morning provided energy for a busy day.
This bar dominated the back end of the lodge. The bar was originally in the
Windsor Hotel in Denver. In that era, women were not allowed in the bar; it was
for men only. Calamity Jane was prevented from entering the bar, so she put
three bullet holes in it. The painting behind the bar has a rather unusual
explanation. When the artist that painted it, started to sign the painting, he
was told he had to leave it unsigned. This didn't please him, so he gave the woman six
toes.
Close-up of her foot. Some people say there are seven toes, with the seventh
being in the shadow.
One session was devoted to answer questions people had concerning their
Roadtreks. The collective knowledge and wisdom of the group was very impressive.
Here Tom LeBar is answering a question concerning installing rear wheel spacers
to improve the handling of Roadtreks.
Steaks provided by Steve Casey's Recreational Sales in the Denver area
are being grilled for the final dinner. We were told that this grilll was
installed at the instigation of Hoss Cartwright during the filming of Bonanza.
Apparently, he liked his food.
Dennis Neff provided the entertainment one night.
The lodge was available for impromptu games in the evening. This is some variation of dominoes that I have never seen before.
Terri Wiles and Carol Chrzanowski, who organized the rally. Everything ran very smoothly.
Thanks for a great rally!
Beth and Don Wilson, who are on the staff of the campground and are Roadtrekkers, worked hard to make all of us comfortable and to ensure that the rally ran smoothly. Many thanks, Beth and Don!
Views of Rocky Mountain National Park